g20 summit in russia ends without an agreement on military strikes in syria

g20 summit in russia ends without an agreement on military strikes in syria$#u.s. moves to reduce diplomatic personnel in lebanon and turkey as congress debates action against syria$#lebanon increases the number of troops protecting foreign embassies ahead of possible u.s. missile strikes in syria$#at least three people killed and 78 arrested during anti-coup protests across egypt$#u.s. and uk spy agencies reported to have developed the ability to break systems designed to protect information online$#dutch supreme court rules state can be held responsible for deaths of three bosnian muslim men in 1995 srebrenica massacre$#australians head to the polls to vote for their next government, with the opposition tipped to win$#south korea bans all fishing products from japan, citing radiation fears from the waters off the fukushima nuclear power plant$#u.s. economy added 169,000 jobs in august as unemployment falls to 7.3 percent$#protests held in indonesia against the miss world contest opening on the island of bali on saturday$#two more people die in saudi arabia after contracting the middle east respiratory syndrome$#tropical storm lorena, remains on course to slam into southern baja california this weekend$#tropical depression gabrielle loses power after lashing puerto rico and other parts of the caribbean with torrential rains$#rains ease briefly across japan as floods submerge parts of northeast china's heilongjiang province$#tennis: top seed serena williams beats li na 6-0, 6-3 to reach u.s. open final where she will pay second seed victoria azarenka$#tennis: defending champion andy murray knocked out of u.s. open by stanislas wawrinka in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-2$#tennis: world no. 1 novak djokovic battles through four sets to beat mikhail youzhny to u.s. open semis$#tennis: bryan brothers grand slam quest ends in u.s. open semifinals losing 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to leander paes and radek stepanek$#football: wins for spain, england, germany and italy in world cup qualifiers$#football: colombia beat ecuador 1-0 to go level on points with argentina in south american qualifier$#athletics: usain bolt wins 100m at diamond league meet in brussels in a time of 9.80 secs

Egypt's interim prime minister has said that his country could do without foreign aid, as both the United States and the European Union are reviewing ties with Cairo following a bloody crackdown on anti-coup protests.

A defiant Hazem el-Beblawi told ABC news on Tuesday that his country was heading in the "right direction" and he did "not fear civil war" despite the death of more than 830 people in a military-led campaign against backers of deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

Beblawi said that it would be "a bad sign" for the US to cut off aid to his country, but that while such a step would "badly affect the military for some time", Egypt would survive.

"Let's not forget that Egypt went with the Russian military for support and we survived. So, there is no end to life. You can live with different circumstances," he said.

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia has said it and other Arab states would step in to fill any funding gap if Washington withdrew aid.

Safwat Hegazy, a fiery Salafi preacher, was arrested on Libyan border, while Mourad Ali, a spokesman for the Brotherhood's political wing, was detained at the Cairo airport, trying to catch a flight to Italy, MENA said.

Hegazy is wanted over charges of instigating violence.

Earlier on Tuesday, authorities
detained Mohamed Badie, the "spiritual leader" of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, stoking fears of fresh violence between security forces and Islamists protesting at the former president's July 3 ouster by the army.

An Egyptian court remanded Badie in custody for 15 days on suspicion of inciting the murder of protesters, the first time since 1981 that the Brotherhood's spiritual leader has been arrested.

Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna, reporting from Cairo, said the arrest was "incredibly significant".

"The arrest of the spiritual leader was always seen as a red line, even Hosni Mubarak never arrested him, but this military-led government is clearly ignoring that."

A Muslim Brotherhood statement condemned the arrest of Badie, 70.

"The putschists think that arresting the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and marring their image in the media will make Egyptians bow and give in to the coup," it said.

"The issue has become one of the Egyptian people and they will not bow. ... They have killed thousands, wounded thousands, arrested thousands but the (people) are continuing in their peaceful revolution and rejecting the coup and military rule."

The Muslim Brotherhood, reeling from the imprisonment and death of hundreds of its members, moved swiftly to temporarily replace Badie with Mahmoud Ezzat, his deputy in the organisation.

US and EU reviewing ties

Meanwhile, in Washington, President Barack Obama met with top aides to review policy towards Egypt, traditionally a strong US ally in the Middle East.

The White House criticised Badie's arrest, saying it was incompatible with the military's pledge for an "inclusive political process" but denied reports it was halting its $1.3bn annual aid package.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said a review of US aid ordered in early July had not yet been completed and that "reports ... that suggest that assistance to Egypt has been cut off are not accurate".

On Wednesday, foreign ministers from the European Union, which has pledged nearly $6.7bn in aid for 2012-13, are set to meet to discuss the crisis in Brussels.

In comments made ahead of the meeting, Catherine Ashton, the EU's top foreign policy official, offered to go to Egypt to help mediate a political solution to the crisis in the country.

Whatever Congress may decide, a US military strike against Syria would be a reckless and counterproductive move.

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SO called western intellectual who used to claim that Democracy and Islam can not exist together are getting---are exposed everyday.

1. When Mosaddeq was elected in Iran, CIA overthrew the govt

2. When in Salvation Front won the election in Algeria, France and USsupported their puppet rather than supporting elected government

3. When in Hamas won the election, US and Europe supported their puppetrather than supporting elected Hamas government.

4. When in Morsi won the election in Egypt, US installed a puppetGeneral Sisi and supported their puppet rather than supporting electedgovernment.

US/Zionists will not allow democracy to develop in Arab world becausedictators are good slaves to Zionist interests---Gen Sisi has already starteddestroying tunnels that are life line to Gaza's Palestinians

and where is the suni sect in irak and libanon that were completely exterminated with the plot of your masterminds mouqtada sadr and hassan naser lat those brainless extremists segregated between suni ans shia and now you dare said they were suffering youa are a big liar

Your English still sucks, and it is not me who does advocate killing of innocent people,but it is your misunderstood religion who is telling you that.You are the one who is killing innocent people, and that is all you are capable of.

And you are the monster, who has been brought up by disturbed parents,or were you brought up by Islamic Donkeys.Long live General Sisi and Hosni Mubarak.And prison for Morsi (30 years) in the Sahara or Tora.I am sure you have been there already.

You seriously need to look at the definition of democracy. Being elected by the vote of the people is just the first step to being called a democracy with a democratic means of checks and balances and with minority rights being protected from the majority oppression. All your so called democracies are simply theologies, dictatorships or autocratic governments using democracy to actually be undemocratic.By the way, the new president of Iran was voted into government but to call it democratic is an insult to democracy. Out of over 600 candidates, the real dictator of the country only allowed 6 to run. It is a sham.By the way, tho I know you would never acknowledge it but the only true democracy in the Middle East is Israel. You know you are dealing with the right mindset when a country has a gay pride parade. I don't expect you to agree but it is the plain talk!

disagree, that narrative is specific to secular democracy not democracy de facto per say. When the majority vote, thats what really counts, it must be inclusive with checks and balances to deliver a functioning governing structure that benefits the people. protecting minority rights is only A sign of a good democracy not he only one and most definitely not the benchmark.

Giving people the choice of choosing an elected leader is much greater than implementing a specific definition of what it is and what it must be. The rest is pure political gymnastics in getting everyone to play ball for the good of the people (which doesn't always happen). Look at major policies that are detrimental to the people in western countries, even with clear objections by the people, they are still adopted and the people have no say whatsoever. Diplomatic immunity is given to them and a free license to act with impunity.

A polyarchical governing structure which is adopted by most western countries cannot be the benchmark for the whole world (unless you prefer a New World Order based on this in which case your vote doesn't mean squat).

Every single one of those democracies have have two things in common, a limited representational framework that only allows a limited number of people to stand for the top position, i.e. US only have three candidates. No other person can stand. Other examples are redrawing of constitutional lines to gain more seats with less people that consolidates power by diminishing the value of the vote, meaning reducing the number of candidates that can represent the people.

If these styles and methods of governance are acceptable, so is having 600 candidates and allowing only 6 to run - its part of their constitution and allowed whether you like it or not.

There is no monopoly of what type of democracy is allowed and disallowed. It's whatever the people decide. Major upheaval take place when people make comments with their biased views and policy makers, make decisions on what they don't agree with and start interfering in other affairs.

The only true secular democracy in the Middle East is Israel. I have no issue with that or the fact they have a gay pride - all that means is they are reducing their numbers by attrition, thats their choice. They don't have to be there and they don't need to be there, they just want to be there.

Here is another thought and one for the policy makers. Setup a global policy/treaty for immigration priority to be given to those practicing LGBT that feel persecuted. The carrot and stick, you want to protect them, you take them, they won't feel persecuted and they won't be persecuted, everyone will be happy.

But we also know that having a nation state is more important than world peace, or stability no matter what the cost is more important than giving people the choice.

Each and every social engineering project that has been implemented eventually fails, they have a good run and things move on. Like I am from this discussion. Ciao.

Several things. First please point to where in the definition of democracy 'check and balances' are listed. 2ndly, how are those checks and balances working in the US? 3rdly, how can a democracy ever exist when the west chooses to overthrow democratically elected governments, or simply decides to ignore the fact they were elected? Please don't get on the boards lecturing on democracy as if you've got it figured out. The West funded and supported the Ayatollah in Iran; and now you want to point out that they don't have a democracy - stop it.

When one guy decides who gets to run for elections, that my friend is not a democracy. Why do people like you delude yourself...... If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, Guess what? It is a duck. When one person holds complete power in a country that is not a democracy. In Irans case, it is a dictatorial theocracy, run by the Supreme Dictator.The fact that the West supported the Ayatoollah does not change what style of government it is. Checks and balances is just inherent in a Democracy so that one person or group does not have total power. In the case of the US, there are 3 branches of government, the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary and they work quite well.Your "ilk" gives the West (or Israel) too much power. They do not control your governments. Middle Eastern governments have done a great job brainwashing their people of that lie so that they can blame all on the West.

Blah blah blah, are you saying Morsi held complete power? If he did, wouldn't he still be president? Stop typing BS. You're trying to wage an argument that was made right after June30th when people didn't yet know the facts. We all know that there was a campaign waged against the Morsi government, a campaign partially funded by the good ol USA.Furthermore where does any of what you speak exist? The Federal government wields the power in the US - how are those checks working? Right now they are building profiles on US citizens, and there's nothing your courts, or legislative body can do about it. Not only that, in order to run and win president, you must have access to billions of dollars - Obama spent over 4billion dollars to win. He's not a billionaire so who did he get that money from? So in fact, the powers that be, can exclude a canidate, simply by not providing him with access to funds needed to win - see Ron Paul. And basically corporations and Billionaires decide who gets to run for president - is that democracy?
Lastly, your talking to us as if we don't know that the west installs, puppet governments; that cow tows to Western Interest. The king of Jordan, is from Arabia, he's not from Jordan. He's still king because aligning with the US equates to self preservation. Saudi Arabians don't like the Sauds - the west does. If not for western protection they would have been disposed of long ago. There's turmoil throughout the middle east, and much of it can be traced to Western financial support of opposition groups; everyone knows that NGO"s are CIA fronts. In the future please spare me the western propaganda lesson, you read like public service announcement.

What about minority rights in Israel? Can a Chritsian or Muslim citizen of Israel stand for being Prime Minister? For me, Israel is also a fake democracy!!! Any country which beleives that a country is created for a particular religous group - wether Israel or Pakistan can never be reallydemocratic countries!!!!

I agree, he most probably will. Does not change the fact that MB are a sect who love to kill people with names like bob and other christian sounding names. You are considered a non-believer, in their docterine you are worthy of death